Deborah Rutter on Political Resilience and Future-Proofing for Cultural Organisations

In this episode, David talks with Deborah Rutter, an arts executive with nearly 5 decades of experience across major major US institutions including the Chicago Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and LA Philharmonic. In 2014 she became the first woman to serve as president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a role she held until February 2025 when she left as part of a major overhaul of the Center’s leadership by the second President Trump administration. Deborah is currently Vice Provost for the Arts at Duke University, a role she began in September 2025. The world is an increasingly political and polarised place, so Deborah’s experience makes her the perfect person to share lessons on Political Resilience and Future-Proofing for Cultural Organisations that can apply to any institution or arts leader, regardless of location or size. In this conversation, we dive into the relationship between cultural institutions and politics. We look at how to build political resilience and the power organizations have sitting at the cross roads of culture and national identity. We also look at how to connect organisations to local communities, the challenges facing artists and administrators in the modern world, and how to support leaders in an increasingly politicised environment.Join us in for Budapest for Classical:NEXT 2026 from the 8th to the 11th of April: www.classicalnext.comFollow us on: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedInThe Classical:NEXT Podcast:Hosted by David TaylorProduced by Aliena HaigLearn more: classicalnext.com/update/introducing-the-classicalnext-podcastwww.classicalnext.com